ACC Value Champions - FAQs

The ACC Value Champions, a component of the ACC Value Challenge, is a unique recognition program that identifies, celebrates and publicizes successful law department value initiatives and collaborations between clients and their law firms and/or other legal service providers.

ACC highlights “ACC Value Champions” for effectively driving value by cutting spending, improving budget predictability and achieving better outcomes through the use of value-focused management practices.

Corporate legal executives are welcome to self-nominate or submit a joint nomination with their outside counsel or legal service providers (LSPs). Law firms and LSPs are welcome to take the lead on submitting nominations for work done in conjunction with a corporate client(s). The submitter of the nomination is responsible for obtaining approvals from others named on the nomination prior to submission. No deadline extensions will be granted for the purposes of obtaining approvals.

Nominees do not have to be a member or a sponsor of ACC to be considered for the ACC Value Champions’ award.

Prior year nominees are welcome to submit again. Every year, several of the winners are past finalists.

The deadline to submit nominations is May 1, 2023.

Nominees must define the scope and duration of the project being highlighted; provide results on spend, predictability and/or outcomes; and a brief narrative on how the results were achieved. Judges are interested in innovation and/or replicability – pointing out what is unique and providing helpful information about how your results were achieved is advised.

The "Supplemental Materials" upload option is for tools, templates and exhibits. Please refrain from submitting marketing material, white papers or power point presentations that amount to a longer version of your value story.

Nominees should show how results have been measured in at least one of the categories listed below.

Recognizing that metrics used in legal departments vary, we simply ask that you clearly explain the measures used, providing context (e.g. % change rather than absolute figures).

Categories include:

• Spending: For example, year over year percentage reduction in a defined category.
• Predictability: e.g. percentage of matters closed within 5% of budget set forth at beginning or key stage of matter.
• Outcomes: e.g. percentage reduction of disputes, claims, settlements, etc. resulting from the value initiative; improvement in process and or quality metrics.

The ACC Value Champions recognizes value in all shapes and sizes around the globe. Sustainability of results is important; projects submitted should reflect results measured over a period of at least 12 months. So is innovation - even if it means applying a tried and-true strategy or set of tactics in novel ways.

Examples of the Types of Projects:

• Revamping sourcing and staffing strategies to ensure that the right work goes to the right resources, internally and externally.
• Finding ways to stop doing work in the Legal department, e.g. by empowering the business with appropriate guardrails and/or automating legal services
• Applying non-hourly pricing techniques in firm-client relationships that better align incentives and achieve targeted results.
• Pinpoint inefficiencies and redesigning workflow to eliminate unnecessary steps and costs.
• Installing knowledge management program and/or improving knowledge sharing, resulting in reduced costs and improved consistency.
• Successful collaborations to come up with ways to dramatically reduce claims and win more cases.
• Employing emerging or cutting-edge technology options to more cost-effectively deliver legal services while improving quality.
• Employing a combination of value practices to drive value through savings, predictability and improved outcomes.
• Your innovation here (what you done to improve the value of legal spending that is not common practice?)

Submitters do have the option of putting in separate nominations for distinct value initiatives. Law firms and legal service providers may put in nominations with multiple corporate clients (each nomination must have the approval of a client co-nominee). There is no limit in the number of nominations from a given company or firm.

• A panel of judges comprised of former ACC Value Champions reviews nominations.
• As needed, finalists may be contacted by an ACC staff member to elicit additional information or to verify the facts of your submission.

The judging panel takes into account the magnitude and sustainability of results achieved, management practices employed, innovation, collaboration and reproducibility of the value practices employed. Extra credit is given for contribution of tools, templates, playbooks, etc. that others can model or use.

Nominations are judged on their own merit, but in addition, the group of winners is selected to form a collective combination of attributes, so that each set of Champions represents an array of value practices from a variety of companies/firms (in terms of size, geography, practice area, etc.)

There is no pre-set number, though the target range is 8-12. The judges aim to select a compelling array of Champions.

The "Champions" will be announced in late summer.

It means you have been recognized by your peers as effectively managing resources to achieve strong value for corporate clients. While innovative practices can be particularly effective and noteworthy, solid, comprehensive management of staff, processes, knowledge and relationships is also important.

The ACC Value Champion designation is intended to recognize successful value practices and is not an endorsement of any law department, law firm, and/or legal service provider. It is not a comprehensive or definitive statement on the subject, but serves as a resource for people to consider when implementing initiatives advocated as part of the ACC Value Challenge.

This is the only award recognition program focused squarely on delivering value to corporate clients – by implementing management practices to control costs and achieve better outcomes. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for corporate legal executives, working with their outside counsel and/or legal service providers, to receive public recognition for successful collaboration.

Our mission is to inspire and inform others about the many ways to drive value for clients, so ACC’s announcement of the Champions is just the beginning.  As an ACC Value Champion you will receive media exposure, profiling on the ACC website, the opportunity to present your value initiative as part of an ACC educational program, and the opportunity to join the cohort of past and present Champions for ongoing networking and benchmarking. You will be invited to an award ceremony where you will recognized and receive an engraved crystal "trophy" that can be proudly displayed in your office.

Please feel free to contact Nicholas Moses, Manager of Practice Networks and Legal Operation Services, at n.moses@acc.com.